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EU Clusters Talk: From funding dependence to financial sustainability - Rethinking business models for Europe's cluster organisations

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29 May 2026

EU Clusters Talk: From funding dependence to financial sustainability - Rethinking business models for Europe's cluster organisations

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European Cluster Collaboration Platform logo

On 10 June 2026 (08:30-10:00 CEST), the European Cluster Collaboration Platform (ECCP), on behalf of the European Commission, will host an online EU Clusters Talk on financial sustainability in cluster organisations. The session will compare public-driven, member-driven, market-oriented and hybrid funding models, and discuss what helps clusters move beyond short-term public funding towards more diversified, resilient business models. 

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European Cluster Collaboration Platform

Related Organisation(s)

European Cluster Collaboration Platform

Topics
Geographical descriptors

Albania

Armenia

Austria

Belgium

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bulgaria

Croatia

Cyprus

Czechia

Denmark

Estonia

EU-27

Finland

France

Georgia

Germany

Greece

Hungary

Iceland

Ireland

Italy

Kosovo

Latvia

Liechtenstein

Lithuania

Luxembourg

Malta

Moldova

Montenegro

Netherlands

North Macedonia

Norway

Poland

Portugal

Romania

Serbia

Slovakia

Slovenia

Spain

Sweden

Switzerland

Türkiye

Ukraine

Other

Organisation Type

Academic / Research and VET Institutions

Business Support Organisation

Company with 250 or more employees

Cluster Organisations

Consumer Organisations

Cultural and Heritage Organisations

Destination Management & Marketing Organisations

EU Institutions

Financial Institutions and Investors

Industry Associations and Chambers of Commerce

International Organisations

Local Authorities

Media / Journalist Organisations

National authorities

Networks and Federations / Confederations

NGOs / Non-profits

Notified Bodies

Regional Authorities

SMEs (a company with less than 250 employees)

Social Economy Entity

Trade Unions

Other

  • Specific types of tourism

    • Adventure tourism

    • Coastal, maritime and inland water tourism

    • Cultural tourism

    • Ecotourism

    • Education tourism

    • Festival tourism

    • Gastronomy tourism

    • Health and medical tourism

    • MICE tourism

    • Mountain tourism

    • Religious tourism

    • Rural tourism

    • Sports tourism

    • Urban/city tourism

    • Wellness tourism

  • Transition Pathway Strategic Areas

    • Accessible tourism services

    • Best practices, peer learning and networking

    • Changes in tourism demand and opportunities

    • Circularity of tourism services

    • Coordinated information on travelling

    • Cross-border travelling

    • Digitalisation of tourism SMEs and destinations

    • Equal and fair tourism jobs

    • Funding and support measures

    • Governance of tourism destinations

    • Green Transition of Tourism Companies and SMEs

    • Improving formal education

    • Improving statistics and indicators

    • Innovative tourism services

    • Multimodal travelling

    • Online visibility of tourism offer

    • Pact for skills

    • Promoting PEF/OEF methods for tourism

    • R&I on climate-friendly tourism

    • R&I on digital tools for tourism

    • Short-term rentals

    • Skills needs for twin transition

    • Sustainable mobility

    • Tools for data on tourism

    • Tourism strategies

    • Training opportunities

    • Well-being of residents

  • Business activities

    • Activities of amusement parks and theme parks

    • Activities of associations and other organisations supporting tourism

    • Air passenger transport

    • Camping grounds, recreational vehicle parks and trailer parks

    • Events catering and other food services

    • Festivals, cultural and entertainment activities

    • Gardens and nature reserves activities

    • Holiday Housing / Apartments and other short stay accommodation

    • Hotel and similar accommodation

    • Mobile beverage services

    • Mobile food services

    • Museums

    • Operation of historical sites

    • Other

    • Other accommodation

    • Other amusement and recreation activities

    • Other food and beverage services

    • Other holiday reservation services

    • Other tourism transportation activities

    • Rail Passenger transport

    • Recreational and sport activities

    • Restaurants, cafes and bars (Food and Beverage serving activities)

    • Road passenger transport

    • Tour operator activities

    • Travel agency activities

    • Water (sea, coastal and inland) passenger transport

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Cluster organisations are doing more than ever, backing industrial transformation, opening doors for SMEs, pushing innovation forward, but the funding they rely on is often short-term and fragmented. 

On 10 June 2026, 08:30-10:00 CEST, the ECCP will host a discussion on what financial sustainability looks like in practice. The conversation will look at different revenue mixes (public-driven, member-driven, market-oriented and hybrid), and at the conditions that make it easier or harder for clusters in different countries and settings to diversify their income over time.

The agenda will open with a keynote on the structural challenges to cluster financing, followed by a panel where cluster managers and alliance leaders share concrete lessons from their own organisations. A dedicated segment will cover upcoming EU funding opportunities relevant to evolving cluster business models, and the session will close with an open Q&A.

Speakers include:

  • Christian Rangen, Strategy advisor and CEO, Engage//Innovate
  • Marcos Suárez, Strategic Areas Director, Basque Energy Cluster
  • Alexandre Yurchak, CEO, Ukrainian Cluster Alliance
  • Claire Grosbois, European Project Development Manager, VEGEPOLYS VALLEY
  • Silvia Rossi, Cluster Manager, Clust-ER BUILD
  • Ásta Kristín Sigurjónsdóttir, Managing Director, Iceland Tourism

The full agenda is available online. 

#EUClustersTalks #ClusterPolicy #FinancialSustainability #IndustrialTransformation #ECCP #BusinessModels #SMEs #EUFunding

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